Sea freezes over in Cape Cod and rare snow hits Hawaii as temperatures plunge to -70C in USParts of the US have been among the coldest places on Earth during a week-long deep freeze affecting 100 million Americans

An extreme cold snap across the US has seen the ocean freeze on the Atlantic coast and rare snowfall hit Hawaii in the Pacific.

Parts of the US have been among the coldest places on Earth with temperatures plunging and a wind chill making it feel like almost -70C.

Locals in Cape Cod, Massachusetts - where frozen sharks have washed up - were left stunned after the sea turned to ice close to shore.

They were able to walk on giant chunks of ice in the wake of a deadly "bomb cyclone" that brought huge amounts of snow and freezing cold from the Arctic.

22 Jan 2018 – The City of Yankton declared a snow emergency after a powerful winter storm brought much of the region to a standstill as heavy snow and strong winds created blizzard conditions.

The snowfall, which measured 14.2 inches, shattered the old record of 7.5 inches set in 1982. Unofficially, it was one of the biggest January snowfalls ever recorded in Yankton; there are two 16-inch records on the books, the most recent being a year ago Wednesday.

The storm also paralyzed other parts of the region.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation announced that I-29 was closed from Tea to Sioux City, and declared Highway 81 between Yankton and Norfolk, Nebraska, to be impassible. Travel was was “difficult to impossible” from Yankton to Windom, Minnesota.

And in Oakland. And in Salinas. And in Half Moon Bay. And in Gilroy. And in Livermore.

20 Feb 2018 – The temperature in SFO fell to 36° this morning, breaking the record of 37° set back in 2011. OAK has tied its record of 34° last set in 2006. Both sites still have time to cool further before sunrise. Other records likely tied or broken across the region this morning.

A whopping 4.72 inches of rainfall at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on Wednesday pushed the region's official rainfall total from 6.59 inches to 11.31, according to the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth.

The February record was broken "only over the past seven to 10 days or so," said Matt Stalley, a meteorologist with the weather service in Fort Worth. "The first half of the month was fairly dry.

"We've had a really good batch of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and numerous disturbances that have brought a lot of rainfall," Stalley said.

The rain has cleared out of Tarrant County for now but could return to mess with the weekend. There's a 20 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms beginning Saturday night, which increases to 30 percent on Sunday. Monday brings another 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. High temperatures are forecast to stay between 60 and 70 by the NWS.

Even if there hadn't been a drop of rain Wednesday, last month would still have been the third-wettest February in the 120 years since records have been kept, trailing only 1997 (7.40 inches) and 1945 (6.96 inches).

Normally, North Texas averages 2.66 inches of rain in February, according to the weather service.

Forecasts indicate that Tuesday night into Wednesday morning could see record-breaking cold temperatures. Tuesday night’s low temperature is pegged at 12 degrees, and the current cold record, set in 2002, was 15 degrees.

“It does look like we’ll break that record,” Murray said.

Skies look sunny — or at least partly sunny — Wednesday and Thursday, and no precipitation is expected. More snow is possible on Friday, and again on Sunday.

The 14.9 inches (37.8 cm) of snow that fell at Minneapolis airport from Friday through Sunday set a record for the city’s largest April snowstorm ever, and made it the snowiest April on record in the Twin Cities. It also made it the city’s all-time snowiest start to a calendar year, with 70.3 inches (178.6 cm) since Jan. 1.

In South Dakota, Sioux Falls set two snowfall records, first, for a single day in April at 13.7 inches (34.8 cm) Saturday, and second, with a total of 24.9 inches (63.2 cm) it broke the record for the month. Meanwhile, Huron, SD. set a two-day record for April with 15.5 (39.4 cm) of snow, as did Mitchell with its two-day total of 16.2 inches (41.1 cm).

The 23.5 inches (59.7 cm) of snow that fell in Green Bay, Wisconsin, made it the all-time second largest snowstorm in Green Bay history. It also brought total snowfall for the month to 35 inches (89 cm), making it the city’s snowiest April on record.

Have had a look at the US national report for March and Jan-March 2018. The overall "CONUS" picture is not one of coldness.... March mean temperature ranking was 76 (1= coldest, 124=warmest); Jan-March was ranked 87. Globally temperatures are down on the 2016 highs, not surprising given the transition from El Nino to La Nina. The next El Nino could be interesting in an unwelcome way ...

Snowmelt has triggered flooding in parts of northern Montana, prompting Governor Steve Bullock to declare a state of emergency. The Marias River has reached record heights and the Milk River its highest level in 60 years.

The state of emergency has been issued for the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, the Town of Chester, and Pondera, Hill, Blaine, Valley, Toole, Liberty, and Petroleum Counties. The declaration will allow the use of state government services and equipment, and let the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers help protect infrastructure.http://floodlist.com/america/usa/montana-snowmelt-flooding-april-2018

The changing of the seasons from winter to spring has brought an unwelcome worsening of drought across the U.S. Southwest and Southern Plains. The animation below shows drought conditions becoming more intense and widespread between the start of the animation on January 9 and the final frame on April 17.

At the start of the year, only a few small areas of extreme drought existed in the contiguous United States, the largest of them in Oklahoma and South Dakota. As the season advanced, extreme drought conditions expanded from Oklahoma into Texas and Kansas, with detached pockets also appearing in Arizona and New Mexico by mid-February.

By mid-March, drought in the panhandle of Oklahoma had reached "exceptional" status, and severe drought had pushed northward from Arizona and New Mexico into Utah and Colorado. As of mid-April, parts of seven Southwest states had progressed into exceptional drought.

The Okanogan River near Tonasket is running at more than 18 feet, while flood stage is 15 feet. The Okanogan River is expected to rise to more than 21 feet by Saturday, which may flood some homes and farmlands.

The Kettle River above Curlew is also above flood stage and major flooding is expected.

Severe storms caused major damage in Northeastern USA on Tuesday, 15 May, 2018Maryland FloodingSevere flooding was reported in parts of Maryland, in particular Montgomery and Fredrick counties, where up to 6 inches of rain fell during the storm. Hail up to 2.5 inches (63.5 mm) was also reported.Earlier today MDMEMA said there was a Flood Warning in place for Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Howard Counties until 0630 16 May, 2018. “Light to moderate rain continues, up to 2 inches have already fallen”, MDMEMA added.http://floodlist.com/america/usa/usa-storms-north-east-flash-floods-maryland-may-2018

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has declared a state of emergency in eight counties for flooding from heavy rains.

National Weather Service Charleston, WV, said that saturated soils and continued rainfall are leading to flash and other forms of flooding across the West Virginia mountains, adding that “this is a life threatening situation for many folks who have had their fill of rain.”